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Mountain bike trails

General BS :bull: and other irrelevant chit-chat :kumbaya:
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Firebolter
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Firebolter »

Marylander wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:17 pm Brunswick is a pretty hilly area. I just walked out there from the house and took the little trail between the 2 trail heads (at least it looks like there are just 2). Only about 2.2 miles round trip so I've got no excuse not to become familiar with these trails. The little trail I took is very twisty.
That's cool, yup I am the same way lately. Need more exercise and Annapolis Waterworks is 2.5 miles from me, so no excuse not to go ride some. And this trail system connects up to Bacon Ridge to the north and west-I went to the trailhead tuesday and took a look. MORE does a great job of setting up the trails.

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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Marylander »

Firebolter wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:27 pmThat's cool, yup I am the same way lately. Need more exercise and Annapolis Waterworks is 2.5 miles from me, so no excuse not to go ride some. And this trail system connects up to Bacon Ridge to the north and west-I went to the trailhead tuesday and took a look. MORE does a great job of setting up the trails.
I need to take care of business as I've gotten as fat as I've ever been...

Those trails over your way look cool. I joined IMBA last year and that apparently makes me a MORE member too. I did it to get discounts on stuff at sites like expertvoice.com but it's cool they're actively working on trails so close to where we live. These ones near me look pretty slick.
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Twist
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Twist »

My wife, daughter and I went over this week and rode the Waterworks trails. Loads of fun trails in there - and loads of steep climbs. Why are there always more climbs than descents? We didn't do much more than half of it before we felt like we had a whoopin'

I'd definitely like to go back and ride some more of it and Bacon Ridge but I couldn't help but think the whole time about how much easier this would have been on Firebolter's Luna X1 Enduro MTB - or any e-MTB for that matter. Hey, as they say - pain is weakness leaving the body, right? Still, mucho thanks to Bill for loaning me his Cannondale MTB. I guess trials didn't kick my tookus enough that now I have to pedal my way around those kinds of places.
The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why. - Mark Twain
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Firebolter
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Firebolter »

No problem Wes, now you know what kind of bike you may want if you decide to get a full suspension. Glad you got to go out with the family, it was a great few days this week in Nappytown. I will probably eventually upgrade the front end on the Jekyll. The Lefty works pretty good though-That is a good bike. One of the few things I own that was made in the USA! Not sure if the E-MTB's are legal in there. They have a sign that says no motorized vehicles but the picture are of motorcycles and it does not say no ebikes anywhere at the trailhead.

My BESST tool comes today so I can update the firmware on the X1. This update is supposed to really make the PAS work nicely and be really progressive through the levels. Guess now I have to update my software on my bike along wit my laptops and every other device now!
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Boom Boom »

Firebolter wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:39 am No problem Wes, now you know what kind of bike you may want if you decide to get a full suspension. Glad you got to go out with the family, it was a great few days this week in Nappytown. I will probably eventually upgrade the front end on the Jekyll. The Lefty works pretty good though-That is a good bike. One of the few things I own that was made in the USA! Not sure if the E-MTB's are legal in there. They have a sign that says no motorized vehicles but the picture are of motorcycles and it does not say no ebikes anywhere at the trailhead.

My BESST tool comes today so I can update the firmware on the X1. This update is supposed to really make the PAS work nicely and be really progressive through the levels. Guess now I have to update my software on my bike along wit my laptops and every other device now!
What happened to adjusting the air screw a 1/4 turn and just riding?
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by smdub »

Firebolter wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:39 am No problem Wes, now you know what kind of bike you may want if you decide to get a full suspension.
Believe it or not, most full suspension (FS) mtbs are the same. I have run all the common rear linkages though cad software and the travel is surprisingly similar (as they have to be.) The difference everyone feels (and swears by) is really the shock tuning. Using big bikes as an example: its like PDS (KTM) vs linkage (Husky) (though mtbs are actually less different than that.) You can make one plush and the other hard and visa versa. Some people will swear linkage is the only way to go, etc where in reality on a chassis dyno you can prove them wrong.

I went FS 29er VERY early in their availability. VooDoo Canzo 29er. It was pretty harsh to ride but I did the research, modeled the suspension, and swapped the stock shock to one w/ lower low speed compression. COMPLETELY different bike. So if someone swears by DW Link, single pivot, etc. its MOSTLY smoke and mirrors to get around patents. There are small differences but thats the 10% difference that isn't the shock tuning.

Also don't be in a rush to buy a FS bike. The progression of all mtbs in their 'career' is:

Hardtail -> Full Suspension > Hardtail -> Single Speed -> Fixie -> Unicycle.

I progressed to the single speed stage (but never got around to building one) and then skipped the Fixie and went straight to the Uni. FS bikes are 'too easy' to ride. In rocky places like the Watershed it still gets hauled out but everywhere else the HT gets the pick. Just more fun and challenging to ride. Sort of like riding the little KTM 150XCW. Its harder and needs more riding attention than the 500EXC but is more rewarding in many ways. The 150 is just more 'fun' to ride than the 500.
Last edited by smdub on Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Stephen (not Steve) - '08 Monster S2R1000 / '20 Husky 701LR / KTM '20 500 EXC / '17 150 XC-W / '21 E-XC / '21 890R / '19 Sherco 300FST / Sur-Ron LBX / Segway X160 / Sur-Ron Ultra Bee
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Firebolter »

That's kinda true for any suspension, they can be made better with better components. I use the rear/front lock outs when climbing and agree, I was kinda faster on my Trex Carbon HT than my full suspension Cannondale, but I am alot less tired and my ass isn't as sore after the same ride on the full suspension.

My ebike is awesome. Don't even get out of the seat now! Love it-The rockshox stuff that came stock is pretty decent (Yari/Monarch).
Last edited by Firebolter on Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Firebolter »

Now you got me thinking Steven, my Cannondale Jekyll that Wes is riding, is a 2003 model. At the time, it was a higher end model, Lefty front, higher end Fox float in the back, XT components but with the 3ring setup up front. And the frame still feels as good as any of the newer geometry's. Granted, mine has low hours and respected use by me all these years and is in super shape, but it still feels tight and works as good as my newer frames. Takes a bit to get used to the Lefty when you look down. Especially when bombing down a hill, it just seems so wrong-
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by smdub »

Lefty's are just wrong. Bearings aren't meant to be square :killingme: I'm fascinated by them from an engineering standpoint. Most of their marketing about it is not complete BS which is refreshing. Through axles have negated some of the stiffness advantages however and I don't think the small weight savings overall is worth it but I digress. They are still neat as F to look at. I have seen one in person locked up however. They have long cages of linear rollers inside and one must have broken and gotten to the seal or something and locked it - probably damaging the bearing 'races' and trashing the fork too. LOTS of moving parts in them.
Stephen (not Steve) - '08 Monster S2R1000 / '20 Husky 701LR / KTM '20 500 EXC / '17 150 XC-W / '21 E-XC / '21 890R / '19 Sherco 300FST / Sur-Ron LBX / Segway X160 / Sur-Ron Ultra Bee
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Re: Mountain bike trails

Post by Twist »

smdub wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:22 pm Lefty's are just wrong. Bearings aren't meant to be square :killingme: I'm fascinated by them from an engineering standpoint. Most of their marketing about it is not complete BS which is refreshing. Through axles have negated some of the stiffness advantages however and I don't think the small weight savings overall is worth it but I digress. They are still neat as F to look at. I have seen one in person locked up however. They have long cages of linear rollers inside and one must have broken and gotten to the seal or something and locked it - probably damaging the bearing 'races' and trashing the fork too. LOTS of moving parts in them.
Everyone keeps telling me it looks like a three-legged dog but you know, when I'm riding it I'm not looking down at the forks :)

I will say that the full suspension is pretty nice for this novice MTBer.

After hitting some trails on Bill's MTB I'm wonder if it's not cheating to go e-MTB if you're an old coot. It's my understanding that you can turn down/off the assist for the exercise and turn it back on for the steeper ascents. That sounds like magic to me.
The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why. - Mark Twain
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